By ROY WARD
NOBLE Park is poised to bring in the big guns for old rivals Balwyn this Saturday.
Star midfielders Stewart Kemperman and Tyson Mitchem, along with forward Matt Dunne and former Port Melbourne player Dan Keely, are all in line come into the Bulls side for one of the biggest games in the Eastern Football League division 1 season at Pat Wright Senior Oval this Saturday.
The Bulls and the Tigers sit on top of the ladder heading into the stand-alone match, which is the only EFL game as the rest of the league has a bye for the Queen’s Birthday long weekend.
Bulls coach Mick Fogarty, who lost Kemperman, Dunne and Mitchem before Saturday’s game due to niggling injuries, said his side couldn’t wait to get out on field against the Tigers.
Fogarty said he was hopeful all three players would be fit to face the Tigers along with Keely, who is in line for selection after injury prevented him from playing in the opening rounds.
Keely has played the the last three games in the Bulls reserves and Fogarty is confident the former Borough player is ready to contribute.
“The three players who pulled out on Saturday should all come up for Balwyn,” Fogarty said.
“Keely is just about ready to go and we’re pretty excited to see him on field. He has had three reserves games. We could have rushed him in sooner but wanted to make sure he could contribute straight away.”
The Bulls warmed up for the match with a hard-fought 45-point win over South Croydon in very wet conditions at Cheong Park on Saturday.
Fogarty said his side kept to the team’s game plan and reaped the rewards in very trying conditions. Sam Monaghan, Vergim Faik, Andrew McConnell and Beau Cosson were named in the best players and Shayne Allan kicked three goals.
“The conditions were really tough and the ground pretty muddy and in three inches of water,” Fogarty said. “We got numbers around footy and put on plenty of pressure. We played a basic game plan in those conditions and the boys followed that to a T.”
The Bulls won 11.12 (78) to South Croydon 4.9 (33).
Noble Park was also buoyed by the stellar AFL debut from two-time Bulls premiership player Kyle Martin for Collingwood on Friday night.
Martin picked up 19 possessions and kicked two goals as the Magpies beat Brisbane in Brisbane.
EFL division 1 ladder: Balwyn 32 points, 187.89 per cent; Noble Park 24, 157.94; Vermont 24, 155.05; Norwood 20, 116.75; Lilydale 20, 112.34; Rowville 16, 101.57; East Ringwood 12, 103.26; Knox 12, 79.06; Blackburn 12, 77.06; South Croydon 12, 74.45; Scoresby 8, 57.08; East Burwood 0, 57.09.
